A dog is recovering after being dragged behind a truck and now SPCA officials are looking for the driver.
Residents witnessed the female chocolate-colored Pit Bull Terrier being helplessly pulled by a children's jump rope behind a dark green pickup truck near Elmer Road and East Avenue in Vineland, N.J. Saturday night. They immediately called police.
In 911 tapes released Monday, you can hear the distress in the caller's voice as she described the horrifying situation to the operator. Officers searched for the pup, but were not able to locate the truck or dog, according to the Cumberland County SPCA.
"It was terrible," the caller whose asked to remain anonymous told NBC10's Ted Greenberg. "It was the most terrible thing I've seen in my life."
Eric Spinnato and his son found the severely wounded dog on the porch of his East Avenue home Sunday morning. SPCA officers believe the pup crawled from the street to the porch for protection.
"I just can't fathom why anybody would have even done something like that to a dog," Spinnato said.
The dog was rushed to a veterinarian for treatment and was expected to survive. It suffered road burns to her side, legs and face. Vets were forced to remove parts of her footpads and nails, the SPCA said.
In a twist of fate, the dog's original owner came to the Cumberland County SPCA headquarters hysterically crying after seeing the report this weekend, officials said. The woman had just given the dog away two weeks ago and is cooperating with authorities as they try to find the driver.
Officials are still not sure if the driver purposely dragged the dog. They are asking anyone with information to contact the Cumberland County SPCA at 856-691-1500 or Vineland Police at 856-794-4000.
If she is healthy enough, the dog will be placed up for adoption in about month.
